A Chance Meeting
by The Deadly Dolly
Summary: Set during the Tales of Ba Sing Se. As Iroh returns back to his home in the city from mourning his son, he has an encounter that will ease the pain within his heart. Also contains light romance.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my very first attempt at an Avatar fic, and I really hope you all enjoy this. I don't own Avatar, but I do own two original characters, Kourin and Seung. Also, if there is any OOCness in this story, my apologies in advance. Now on with the fic, and remember, to leave constructive feedback and no flaming.

Iroh walked through the city streets of Ba Sing Se trying to get home. He had been honoring his son's birthday today, and now that it was dark, he was heading back home to see Zuko. The pain he felt for his son's death and not being able to help him as he had the people he met today was still lingering in his heart. He was soon snapped out of his thoughts when he heard crying coming from not to far from where he was standing. He walked over to see a young boy, looking around for something or perhaps someone.

"Little one, what's wrong?" Iroh asked the little boy who had tears falling down his cheeks and snot running out of his nose. "My mommy and I were out in the city together, but then the streets got crowded, and I got separated from her" he managed to sob out. Iroh knew he couldn't let this boy wander the city alone considering it was already getting dark outside. 'I suppose Zuko won't mind being alone for a while' he thought with a soft inner chuckle.

"I'll help you find your mother" he said, offering the little boy his hand. The boy looked up at him, and without hesitation, took his hand. Iroh began going from shop to shop, seeing if anyone knew the little boy or his mother, but didn't have much luck. When Iroh glanced at the boy for a moment, he couldn't help, but notice he bore quite a resemblance to Lu Ten when he was little. Soon, he began to hear a woman's frantic voice, calling out a name. "Seung! Seung, where are you?" it called out.

"That's mommy's voice" the boy said as he pulled Iroh towards the voice. When they finally reached the source of the voice, there was a woman dressed in civilian Earth Kingdom garb with her hair in an elaborate style. "Mommy!" the boy yelled out as he ran towards the woman. "Seung" she cried out as she opened her arms and embraced her son tightly. "Seung, thank goodness you're okay" she said, with a soft sob escaping her lips.

"Mommy, this nice man helped me find you, and made sure I was safe" he said, pointing over at Iroh. The woman smiled and walked over to Iroh. "Kind sir, thank you for finding my son, is there any way I can repay you?" she said. "There is no need to repay me, Miss…" he said. "Kourin, and I insist you come to our house for a nice cup of tea, please" she asked softly. Iroh smiled gently, and said, "Well, I can't resist a cup of tea especially made by a beautiful young lady." Kourin's cheeks turned a soft pink color. She led Iroh to a small home near the city.

"Please, have a seat, and I'll get the tea started. Seung, you should go get changed into your pajamas" she said. Seung nodded and rushed off to his room as his mother poured some water into the tea pot. Once the put was full, she headed to the fire place, and started a fire. She then placed the tea kettle over the fire. "What kind of tea do you like?" she asked Iroh. "White Peony would be nice" he said, sitting down at the table. Kourin nodded, and went over to the counter to find the tea leaves.

As she was looking for the tea, Iroh took the time to look around the house. It had furniture here and there and a few painted scrolls on the wall. Finally, his eyes hit something that made his heart stop. Displayed on a mantle was a familiar medallion. It was one that he had given Lu Ten when he joined the army. 'Why on earth does an Earth Kingdom woman doing with this?' he thought, glancing over at his hostess. "Miss Kourin, where did you get that medallion?" he asked, noticing her tensing up at the question.

Kourin quickly walked over to tea kettle that was whistling, and poured the water into two cups, placing the tea leaves in them. As Kourin set the cup down in front of him, her hand shook a bit. "It belonged to someone important to me" she said softly, "and how do you know of it?" Iroh was quite surprised by what she said.

"That medallion was a gift I gave to my son, Lu Ten when he joined the army" he said. Kourin's eyes widened in shock, and her breath caught in her throat. "So you're Iroh, I heard much about you from Lu Ten" she said softly, tears forming in her soft green eyes. "How do you know him?" Iroh asked, his curiosity growing about Kourin's connection to his son. "I guess now I should introduce myself properly. I'm Lu Ten's wife, and my son is your grandson" she said, looking Iroh right in the eyes when she spoke.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed the first chapter of this story. It took a lot of thought on how these two would have met, and let alone marry, but I hope that you guys will be happy with what I have planned. Again, I don't own Avatar, and the only characters I own are Kourin and Seung. Enjoy the fic and please remember to leave only constructive reviews.

Iroh was unable to find his voice to respond to what he heard. His only son had a wife, and son that he kept a secret from his own father. It was impossible, there was no way that this was true. So many emotions were flooding him, but one that stood out the most is pain. "Why are you doing this? Did I harm you in the siege, and this is some sort of revenge?" he asked, tears falling down his cheeks. Kourin was startled at first when she heard this, and was stunned he'd even think such a thing.

"How can you say that!? I have no motive to do this. He couldn't exactly tell his father he had married an Earth Kingdom girl without putting us at risk. If I could have, I would have gone to you long ago with this, but I couldn't. The only thing I hope to gain in telling you this is having my son have his grandfather in his life" she cried out, clenching her fists as her shoulders began to shake.

When Iroh was finally able to look into her eyes, he could tell she was sincere and what she was saying was indeed the truth. "I'd like to know how you and my son met, and how you were able to marry him?" he said, calming down by taking a sip of tea. Kourin took a deep breath, drying her eyes, and soon began to tell Iroh her story. "It was about three months into the siege of Ba Sing Se…."

* * *

Lu Ten was on night patrol that night, to make sure there would be no surprise attacks on the Fire Nation camp. He could have taken more important duties since he was the son of the crown prince, but he wanted to prove he was a good soldier without his lineage getting in the way. As he was about to head back to the camp, he heard noises coming from near by.

He slowly made his way over to where he heard the noises to see two of his fellow soldiers harassing a young Earth Nation girl. He was going to leave until one of the soldier tried to rip her clothes off. Even thought she belonged to an enemy nation, that didn't give his fellow soldiers any right to have at her like that.

"You there, why are you not at your posts?" he demanded, storming over to them. "P…Prince Lu Ten, we were just..." one of them said, but Lu Ten interrupted him, "There is no excuse for not doing your job, now get back to your posts!" The soldiers quickly left leaving the poor trembling girl in the presence of the prince of the Fire Nation. This girl was part of the kingdom that his was fighting, and he should have killed her then and there, but seeing the look of pure fright in her eyes tugged at him.

He slowly made his way over to the girl. He placed a hand on her shoulder, bent down a bit, and whispered in her ear, "You better hurry home, or else you may not be so lucky to live." The girl looked up at him with a shocked expression, and nodded, quickly scurrying off. As she reached the small entrance of the city wall, she turned to him, and said, in a soft feminine voice, "Thank you", before disappearing out of sight.

* * *

A few weeks, the encounter with the Earth Kingdom girl was forgotten, and a battle was raging. They had nearly penetrated the outer wall of Ba Sing Se when the earth bending warriors began to grow in numbers. His father, General Iroh, had called for the soldiers to fall back. As they began to retreat, Lu Ten felt the earth shift under his feet, and before he knew it, he was flung off into a direction far from the battle field. The last thing that Lu Ten remembered was hitting the ground, and seeing a pair of soft green eyes looking down at him.

Le Ten began to stir, a feeling of pain washing over him. As his vision began to clear, he noticed he was no longer out on the field, but in a home. He tried to get up, but the pain was too intense, and he lay back down. "So, you're finally awake" a female voice from the door said. He turned his head, and realized this was the girl that he had rescued from his fellow soldiers. "Yes, where am I?" he asked.

"You're at my home in the city. I was coming home from working at a farm I help out at not too far from the outer wall, when I saw you laying there are bruised and bloodied. After what you did for me, it wouldn't have been right to have left you there so I covered your armor with my cloak, and sneaked you into the city" she explained, sitting in the chair next to his bed. She dipped a cloth into a bowl of water near his bed, and gently cleaned the blood from his face. "I don't understand, I'm the enemy, but you still helped me" he said in a soft voice.

The girl smiled at him, and said simply, "Even if we come from different nations, do we both have beating hearts beneath our chests " Lu Ten was startled by her answer, but remained silent. "How do I know you won't give me up to the Earth Kingdom soldiers?" he asked, a bit suspicious of the girl. "If I wanted to do that, I would have done it while you were unconscious" she explained. Lu Ten nodded a bit, and looked away.

"May I ask your name?" he asked his rescuer. "My name is Kourin Li, and I already know who you are, Prince Lu Ten" she said, bowing a bit. "Please, there is no need for formalities, just call me Lu Ten" he said. Kourin simply smiled, and said, "You must be hungry, I'll go make you some rice porridge. Please try not to get up, you have several gashes and broken bones" she said before exiting the room. Lu Ten lay back on the bed, his mind wondering how long he would have to stay in this home.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter on how Lu Ten and Kourin met. The next two chapters will be flashbacks on how their relationship grew and how they got married. Please, leave a review with any thoughts and constructive criticisms.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Now, these next two chapters will begin to go into how they developed feelings for one another (this chapter), and how they became husband and wife (the next chapter). Again, I don't own Avatar, and the only original things in this story are Kourin and Seung. Also, I apologize if this story feels rushed. I've just begun writing after a long hiatus so I'm a bit rusty. I hope this chapter is better.

The first week was a tense one for the both of them. Despite her kindness, Lu Ten still was wary to trust her. He would have her taste the tea and food she would give him to make sure it wasn't poisoned. She had called a local healer to her home to check on him. She had used the cover story that he was her childhood friend who had been injured during a battle. The healer had told him that it would take three months in order for his wounds to heal. It was a shock, but he would bear it for now until he could leave this home.

When the first week came to an end, he began to trust her a bit more, and even became interested in learning more about his rescuer. "Do you live here alone?" he asked one day as she was changing his bandages. Kourin was startled by his question, but soon regained herself. "Yes, my mother giving birth to me, my father had died the previous year defending a small Earth Kingdom from your army, and my brother is in a remote village helping them rebuild from an attack" she said softly. "It must get lonely" he said, looking up at the ceiling as she finished changing his bandages.

"Believe it or not, it really isn't. The farm I work at, the two old people who own it are very nice, and are family friends" she said, getting up from the bed. "Is there anything I can get you?" she asked, looking back at her guest. "Jasmine tea, if it's not any trouble" he said. Kourin simply nodded and headed to the kitchen. While she was gone, this gave Lu Ten time to think. 'Why in Agni's name should I trust this girl, even a little bit? Shouldn't I hate her for being part of an enemy nation?' his thoughts whispered to him.

However, when these thoughts came, her words from the first day rang in his mind. 'Even if we come from different nations, we both have beating hearts beneath our chests' is what she had said. 'Also, she could have turned me in by now, so I guess for now, I have no choice, but to trust her' he thought as she came into the room with his tea.

* * *

During the end of the first month, he began to question Kourin about several things. "Why are the other nations so resistant of my nation, we are just trying to share a prosperity with the world?" he asked, looking over at Kourin who was mending his clothes that he was wearing under his armor the night she found him. Kourin looked at him with a shocked look written all over her face. "You can't possibly believe that this is for the good of the world" she said, placing her sewing down. "Why else would this war be happening if it wasn't that?" he asked.

Kourin sighed softly, and shook her head. "I guess the fire nation teaches that as the reason for this war. This war is not bringing the nations anything, but unbalance and chaos. There are several families that are torn because of this war" she said, tears filling her eyes, "I think perhaps you need to see this for yourself." She helped him up from the bed, and into a chair with wheels that she had built for her brother when he broke his leg when he was last here. Once she got him into the chair, she wheeled him out of the house, and towards the market.

As the walked down the street of the market, he heard the whispers of the citizens. "This is terrible, Ba Sing Se may fall to the fire nation" one said. "They think they're superior, and know what's best for the world. How arrogant and foolish" another said. Many of the things said were along those lines for the rest of the day. Finally, once they arrived back home, Kourin helped Lu Ten out from the chair, and into his bed.

"Kourin, I'm so…" but before he could finish what he had to say, she placed a slender finger to his lips. "It's alright, I know hearing from the people was much to take in, but I believe once you've processed everything, you'll understand the truth of this war" she said softly, "for now, you need to rest." She gently placed the covers over his body, and went to her own room, leaving Lu Ten to reflect on what he had heard today.

* * *

It was the middle of the second month when he finally trusted her completely after she opened his eyes to the truth, and now he was even enjoying her company. She would talk to him about all different things, she made excellent tea, and she was a fairly good Pai Sho player. It was in the fourth week that he was able to get out of bed, but not without the assistance of Kourin. The first time she helped him up to go to the bathroom to bathe, he noticed as he leaned against her, a soft pink hue came across her cheeks.

'She looks very pretty when she blushes' he thought, 'wait, where did that come from?' Finally, they reached the bathroom; she soon began to help him undress. He felt a rush of warmth flood over his body as her delicate fingers brushed against his skin. He noticed that as she was helping him get off his pants, her fingers trembled. "I can get this, you can leave if you want" he said, his cheeks turning slightly red. Kourin nodded, and scurried off, unknown to the both of them that each of their hearts were beating very fast.

The day following that incident, Lu Ten wanted to try, and walk around despite Kourin's protests that he need to heal more before attempting to walk again. As he walked a few steps, he began to stumble, and Kourin rushed to keep him from hitting the ground. She tried to support his full weight, but soon she was on her knees with his head resting on her shoulder. Feeling his body so close to hers and the tickling sensation of his breath against her neck was enough to make her feel dizzy. Unbeknownst to Kourin, Lu Ten was feeling just as flustered as her. He had never been so close to a woman before since he mainly focused on his fire bending, and studies.

Her scent was an intoxicating mix of sandalwood and lotus, and was flooding his senses entirely. What seemed like an eternity from the moment they touched, they finally broke apart. Kourin gently helped Lu Ten back into bed before rushing to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Lu Ten sank into the soft bed, his heart still pounding wildly in his chest. 'Why do I feel like this when I'm around her?' he thought, closing his eyes, and turning on his side. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kourin was having similar thoughts. 'I can't possibly be falling for this man. As soon as he's better, he'll leave, and I'll be nothing but a foggy memory' she thought as a tear rolled down her cheek. The night was filled with silence between the two as they ate their meal.

* * *

Finally, the day arrived when Lu Ten was full healed, and ready to return to the Fire Nation camp. Lu Ten was dressed head to toe in his armor, and headed for Kourin's room. He noticed she was facing away from him on her bed. "Well, I guess this is good bye" he said to her, Kourin neither moving nor saying a word. His heart felt like it was in an iron grip at her silence. "I thank you for all you've done for me, and I swear that I will change the minds of my fellow soldiers so we can stop this siege" he said, bowing. He put on the cloak Kourin used to get him into the city, and was about to head for the door. He soon heard the rustling of clothing, and the patter of bare feet against the ground.

He soon stood frozen as a pair of arms wrapped around his body, and the sound of soft sobbing filling his ears. "I wasn't planning on telling you this because we may never meet again, but my heart tells me I mustn't keep this from you. The truth is, over these three months, I've fallen in love with you. At first, I wanted to deny it because I knew it would never work for us, but I don't care anymore. I need you to know how I feel!" she cried out, her arms tightening around his waist before finally letting him go. Lu Ten's heart swelled at what he just heard, she loved him, just as he loved her. He quickly turned out, grabbing her wrist, and pulling her close to him, ensnaring her in a loving embrace.

He bent his head down, and with his lips near her ear, he whispered, "I love you too." Kourin's eyes widened and she slipped her arms around him. "I will admit I never expected this. I was wary of you because I felt that once you gained my trust, you would turn me in, but you never did. Instead, you got to know me, took care of me, and opened my eyes to the truth. Though I know we must part, I need you to know I feel the same way you do" he said, bringing his head back up to look her in the eyes as he spoke to her. Without any hesitation, he leaned in slowly, and planted a soft kiss on her lips.


End file.
